Drain plug



"Aug. 15, 1944. J. KEY-ZER DRAIN PLUG Filed Aug. 19, 1943 a mu Patented Aug. 15, 1944 DRAIN PLUG John Keyzer, West Allis, Wis. I Application August 19, 1943, Serial no. 499,171

1 Claim.

My invention refers to drain opening stoppers for tubs and sinks and under certain conditions may be applied to filling openings or bungs for all types of containers wherein the same may be hermetically sealed.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a two piece stopper embodying a cap-shell having a head beveled inwardly and downwardly and a depending apron or sleeve, the inner walls of which sleeve are at a comparatively slight angle, but said angle corresponding in direction to the more oblique bevel face of the head. Nested within the tapered wall of the apron cavity of the cap-shell is a rigid bevel faced plunger, the same corresponding to the angular face of the cap-shell apron, having a stem extending through an aperture in said shell head, whereby upon a downward pressure, the stem causes a simultaneous sealing effect between the beveled head and corresponding complementary inner beveled face of a flanged drain collar bore. A second seal is effected between 'the collar walls of the drain opening relative to the outer walls of the cap-shell apron. Thus two distinct sealing faces are developed upon difierent planes and a third seal in the apron cavity between the plunger and cap-shell head is also effected, whereby leakage at the three vulnerable points is checked when the stopper is firmly seated. It should be borne in mind that the downward pressure of the plunger, when engaging the apron walls of the cap-shell will also force said capshell down to effect a seal between the beveled mouth surfaces of the stopper parts.

The cap-shell is preferably molded from soft rubber but any suitable flexible material may be substituted therefor and the plug is preferably fabricated from some rigid substance, such as metal, plastic or the like. While I have shown the projecting stem of uniform diameter, it may in some instances be rovided with a mushroom head to facilitate manipulation.

With the above and other minor objects in view, the invention consists in certain peculiarities of constructions and combination of parts as will be fully set forth hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawing and subsequently claimed.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 represents a sectional, elevational view of an expansible stopper fitted to a drain opening embodying the features of my invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the stopper per se with parts broken away and in section to more clearly illustrate structural details.

Referring by characters to the drawing, as shown in Figure 1, the drain opening A of a standard basin or tub is fitted with a cylindrical collar B having a top flange C. The inner wall or mouth of the collar is beveled inwardly and downwardly and merges into the parallel cylindrical walls of said collar.

Fitted into the drain collar is a flexible capshell embodying a head portion I and a depending apron portion 2. The head is provided with a beveled face corresponding to the bevel of the drain collar and the outer walls 3 of the apron or sleeve are cylindrical and in normal loose contact with the correspnding cylindrical walls of the collar. The inner walls of the sleeve or apron are slightly tapered from the flared mouth portion of the head I downwardly and inwardly, as indicated by the numeral 4 and the head is provided with a central opening I.

Fitted into the apron cavity of the cap-shell is a plunger 5 of rigid material, preferably metal, and the peripheral walls of said plungerare formed with a slight tapered angle corresponding to the inner walls 4 of the apron. It being understood that the plunger, in thickness, is of approximately half the length of the sleeve or apron, whereby it is reciprocated therein. Extending from the top of the plunger is a cylindrical stem 6, which stem is of slightly less area than the opening I of the head, whereby a loose joint is effected at this point.

Secured to the top of the stem in any suitable manner is a chain or pull runner 1.

As illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawing, the plunger 5 is nested directly under the shell head I and hence its tapered surface is freed from the tapered surfaces of the apron and in this position a further pull upon the chain 1 will readily disengage the stopper from the drain opening.

When the stopper is fully closed, as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 1, the plunger has moved down in the direction of the arrow by pressure upon the stem and when this movement is completed, the tapered surfaces between the apron and plunger will positively wedge the sleeve or apron not only at the point of contact. but also against the cylindrical surface of the collar 13 and at the same time, due to this downward pressure upon the plunger a second seal is effected between the beveled surfaces of the cap-shell head and flanged collar.

It will be noted that when the plunger is in its stopper or looking position, as indicated in dotted lines, leakage through the head opening I to the apron cavity above the plunger will develop and as the lunger is pulled upwardly the fluid contained in the upper part of the cavity will be discharged through the opening I and also through the loose fitting peripheral surfaces of the plunger and apron.

While I have shown and described an exemplification of my invention minutely as to detail, it is understood that I may vary certain specific structures within the scope of the claim, bearing in mind that when this expansible stopper is used in connection with a bung, the stem may be counter-sunk with relation to the cap-shell head, whereby it will not inadvertently be released.

I claim:

In a non-yieldable cylindrical drain opening flared at its mouth and merged into parallel cylindrical walls of said drain opening, a stopper therefor for comprising a flexible cap-shell having a centrally apertured head portion, the exterior walls of which are flared to seat in the drain opening mouth and extending downwardly to form a cylindrical apron corresponding to the cylindrical drain opening portion, the said apron being provided with a cavity having side walls tapered downwardly and inwardly to the bottom of the apron cavity, a plunger reciprocatively mounted in the apron cavity having tapered walls corresponding to the tapered cavity walls, the lunger having a thickness materially less than the length of the apron and an actuating stem extending from the plunger through the head opening.

JOHN KEYZER. 

